(Tor/St. Martin’s, August 1996, ISBN 0-312-85938-4; (Tor/St. Martin’s, November 1998, ISBN 0-812-55392-6; ReAnimus Press, 2012)
Click Here to Purchase (Courtesy of ReAnimus Press) Or: Amazon Kindle
AWARDS & CITATIONS:
- Locus Bestseller List “Honorable Mention” (11th-place seller nationwide)
- Prometheus Award Semifinalist
- Nebula Award Semifinalist
At the dawn of the 21st century, the “molecular fabrication” industry is poised to remake the world in its image, as did the manufacturing and computer industries before it. But life on the cutting edge can be dangerous; against a backdrop of scientific breakthrough and political oppression, graduate researcher David Sanger is implicated in the death of a colleague, and quickly finds himself caught up in the machinations of those who would shape the future to their own ends.
REVIEWS:
“Fulfills the promise of his earlier work. A taut thriller with a dash of Chandler.” — Jack McDevitt
“A page turner!” — Linda Nagata
“Exceptionally good. Besides being an excellent mystery, it is a convinving look at the near future of nanotechnology.” — Vernor Vinge
“McCarthy deftly blends the SF and mystery genres with a healthy dose of paranoia to create a fast, completely engrossing thriller.” — Monica Simmons, Locus
“The pacing is brisk. McCarthy offers memorable characters, and manages to tell an enjoyable and imaginative tale of social and technological speculation without loading on the hardware.” — Publishers Weekly
“A fast-moving adventure yarn. McCarthy deftly mixes the action story with a strong background of science.” — Fred Cleaver, The Denver Post
“The near-future world of nanotechnology is the setting for this fast-paced thriller, the first hardcover [for McCarthy].” — Mark Graham, The Rocky Mountain News
“Nanotechnology, cyberspace, and glitzy weapons technology spice up McCarthy’s third novel, but take a back seat to fast and frequently graphic action and exciting plot twists. Well-written, escapist futurism.” — Booklist “Something of a surprise… much more fluid [than his previous works]. On all counts, McCarthy shows considerable skill and energy, [and] complements the intelligent speculations on nanotech with some good old-fashioned dirty pool. The issues he raises are real, as is the excitement he offers.” — Gary K. Wolfe, Locus
“McCarthy shows that he knows what he is talking about. Emminently readable, and blessed by… a reasonable extrapolation of current politics and… the sociopolitical impacts [of] nanotechnology. McCarthy knows his onions.” — Tom Easton, Analog
“Breathless… Its striking quality is not so much the fascinating science as the canny use of hardboiled prose and keen sense of pacing. Any author with the knack for tight, vivid writing and good SF mystery in an often clueless field should be applauded.” — Charles DeLint, F&SF
“Breathless… Its striking quality is not so much the fascinating science as the canny use of hardboiled prose and keen sense of pacing. Any author with the knack for tight, vivid writing and good SF mystery in an often clueless field should be applauded.” — Charles DeLint, F&SF
“Wil McCarthy improves immensely on his previous [works] with an interesting murder mystery involving nanotechnology, political intrigue, virtual reality and industrial espionage. McCarthy manages to squeeze quite a lot into a relatively small package, including some telling social commentary.” — Michael Wolff, Starlog
“A story which is hard to categorize and equally hard to put down. McCarthy weaves politics and science so deftly that the mystery shines.” — Midwstern Book Review
“Highly recommended.” — Library Journal
“Not only good action science fiction — full of conspiracy, virtual reality, and the thrill of the chase — but which also delves into the implications and politics… of nanotechnology. An excellent novel, well worthy of McCarthy’s graduation to the hardcover.” — The Plot Thickens “An enthralling mystery [that] presents fascinating glimpses of a near future where nanotechnology has changed the face of crime and civilization. An unput-downable book. It pulls no punches in combining the best of near future hard science SF with edge of the seat suspense. Highly Recommended.” — Diana Tixier-Herald, GENREFLECTING Books of the Week (http://www.oz.net/ica/genre), also echoed to Dorothy-L
“McCarthy does an exceptional job developing both the SF and mystery elements, and the fact that he has a fine cast of characters doesn’t hurt any.” — Science Fiction Chronicle
“More than unipolar SF: it is an excellent little novel which goes quickly, never releases the reader, and touches the reader a little with every passage.” — Keep Watching the Skies (quote translated from French)